Lumber

[Jeff Urich]

My wife and I have just purchased our first home and I finally have a garage with a workshop! Now that I have a place to work, I am going to start kicking up the woodworking projects. However, my dilemma is since we live in remote Alaska, it is difficult to get good lumber other than the white pine that is available at the two small local hardware stores. Any Alaskans out there who can recommend someplace in Anchorage to get good lumber other than Home Depot/Lowes? Also, what kind of hardwoods would you recommend as I begin doing simple projects (bookshelves, boxes, cabinets)?

Thanks!
Jeff

[Dell Littlefield]

Although not in AK, I have had pretty good luck by buying 2X construction lumber and ripping and gluing into quartersawn planks. It is still softwood but works very well for small boxes etc.

[Jim Rimmer]

It will add to the cost but look at mail order. When I first started I did that and it does offer the training it making cut lists and ordering your material to rough size. Many hear have recommended on line sites as well as has the Wood Whisperer.

[Bob Falk]

I used to work in SE Alaska (albeit many years ago), but the Sitka spruce and Yellow Cedar were amazing there.....I would try to connect with someone in the SE and use native woods.....just because it is a softwood doesn't mean you can't make beautiful (and durable) furniture.

[Jeff Urich]

Dell, I actually just tried that making shelving for my office closet. I needed 14" deep shelves and the local stores did not have anything that wide, so I purchased 1x8s and glued them together. Worked for the simple shelves I needed, but definitely not acceptable for a tabletop or desk project. I found that the boards were slightly bowed, which really showed when glued to each other. Perhaps I should have run them through a planer after gluing?

[Dell Littlefield]

Jeff, I worked with pine. In order to get proper grain orientation, I bought 2X10 or 12 and ripped with a glueline blade to desired thickness (plus about 1/8 inch) then glued up to desired width. A couple of passes through the planer to final thickness gave me the quartersawn boards. The southern yellow pine boards had much more dramatic grain than the other species. I have used this technique only on fairly small projects as I don't have the facilities or clamps for larger ones. It is really tough to try to build nice items with construction grade lumber which is all that is available at a reasonable price in the borgs here.

[Terry Beadle]

I may be way off track here but I saw really nice trees being harvested via helicopter in Alaska on the tube. They were off an island in the SE Alaskan area.

Surly there's lumber mills that have spruce or aspen or other tight grained species for sale.

You are in a bit of a pickle though. Mail, shipping etc. all cost a lot more in Alaska if you have to bring it up from the lower 48.

There trees in them thar hills partner and alls you gotta do is find where they make them smaller....hoot!


A quick google of lumber + Alaska gave me quite a list.
One of them is in Anchorage. http://valleysawmill.com/Timbers.html

You should be up to your ears in lumber options, YMMV.

I live in the South and have to use SYP on a lot of stuff. Buying 10 x 2 or 12 x 2 SYP and resawing it, I've made several projects that have turned out great. Just make sure it's dry.

Also there are lots of independent sawyers using Alaska sawmills or such equipment. If you can find one, they will know some one in your area unless you on top of Mt. McKinley...hoot!

Enjoy the shavings.

[Jim Andrew]

Forestry forum is the place to find the small sawmillers out there. Sure there are some in Alaska.

[scott vroom]

Reynolds Hardwood in Palmer looks promising:

http://www.reynoldshardwood.com/

[Jeff Urich]

Scott, great tip on Reynolds Hardwood! I go past their road every time I drive to Anchorage. I will definitely stop in next time I get a chance. Thanks!!